“Pau has also told me he’s coming,” Scariolo said. “All of them want to see how they finish the season. For them to say that they’re looking forward to coming and asking what we’re going to do is a first good step, but then we have to wait and see how they end the season – the physical status of those that have to take part in the play-offs. We have to wait until then to have a definite idea but the pre-disposition of all of the players is very good.”

Marc Gasol, Pau’s younger brother, is set to play after a two-year absence. Marc Gasol chose to sit out FIBA EuroBasket 2015 while an injury prevented him from playing last summer in Brazil. “We’ll begin training on 28 July and we’ll have to change our way of playing with respect to the last two years when Marc hasn’t been here,” Scariolo said. “We’ll have to incorporate him. It’s an important readjustment and there are many things that we’re working on.”

According to the Spanish news agency EFE, the Italian coach who is the most succesful coach in the history of the Spanish national team stressed the fact that “in a complicated tournament from the beggining” the team found its way: “This team and the players to come and the Spanish sport in general owes a lot to the veteran players on our team and those who have left in previous years. They have changed the way we see elite sport in our country. I found a great sport but low in competitiveness when I came to Spain. They have managed to cultivate ambition and self confidence”. Speaking about the tournament, he added: “We are happy and proud of this achievement. This medal is the ultimate conquest of any professional engaged in sports. I thank my players for the attitude and composure in a difficult time. It was a difficult year, a difficult tournament with two defeats at the start, which is unusual. We recovered, we stood up and we could reach our goal, achieving a medal”.